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President Trump says Chicago is refusing federal aid after deadly violence

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President Trump says Chicago is refusing federal aid after deadly violence

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President Donald Trump has renewed calls for more federal military crackdowns in Chicago after a weekend shooting in a busy downtown hallway killed a 14-year-old boy and injured eight other teenagers.

In a Nov. 22 Truth Social post, President Trump spoke of “massive crime and rioting” in downtown Chicago and claimed that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson were “refusing federal aid to a situation that could be immediately remedied.”

“People are screaming bring Trump in!!!” he said.

The shooting occurred around 10pm local time on November 21, just two blocks from Millennium Park, where the popular “Cloud Gate” sculpture is located. Hours earlier, the city’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony drew thousands of people to the park to watch fireworks and listen to live music.

Johnson said the gunshots appeared to be during a “teen takeover” that brought large numbers of young people into the city. Chicago Police Department said in an email to USA TODAY that officers nearby saw a “large group on the sidewalk” that began to disperse after the shooting. They are still investigating the cause.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they found seven teenagers, ages 13 to 17, injured. Less than an hour later, officers found two other teenagers with gunshot wounds several blocks away.

One of them, 14-year-old Armani Floyd, died from his injuries, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

“Incidents like last night set us back as a city and evoke fear,” Prime Minister Johnson said at a press conference on November 22nd, referring to the violence. He described the shooting as “emotional whiplash” caused by the cheerful atmosphere downtown during the tree lighting.

President Trump’s second term: Federal repression in five U.S. cities

Regarding the teen takeover, Johnson said: “Our young people need to understand that they should not attend unauthorized events that are advertised on social media.” Johnson told reporters that the incident was promoted on social media a week before the fatal incident and that police were monitoring the conversation.

He said the city had placed 700 additional police officers and violence intervention specialists on the streets around the expected gathering sites, but acknowledged the precautions were “not fully effective.”

“I’m the first to recognize that there’s still more work to be done in this city to provide a safe place for young people,” Johnson said. “Setbacks like this remind us of the long journey we have taken to build the city we all want to live in.”

Operation Midway Blitz

Trump’s comments came days after the Pentagon withdrew some National Guard troops the president had sent to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, as part of a national crackdown on illegal immigration and crime in Democratic-led cities.

In a post on X, U.S. Northern Command said the troop withdrawal was part of a strategy to ensure a “long-term presence in each city.”

President Trump first sent troops to Chicago in September, launching what he called “Operation Midway Blitz.” During clashes with residents, federal agents used pepper balls and tear gas, and beat journalists, pastors, and Chicago police officers, according to reports and lawsuits.

President Trump called for the arrest of Pritzker and Johnson for “failing to protect” ICE officers. In one incident, Border Patrol agents shot and killed a U.S. citizen.

In late September, federal agents rappelled into an apartment complex from a Black Hawk helicopter in the middle of the night to search for Venezuelan migrants. They announced the arrest of 37 migrants and two members of the Torren de Aragua gang.

Federal prosecutors have not filed criminal charges against any of those arrested, nor have they provided evidence that two of the detainees belonged to Ten de Aragua, according to a ProPublica investigation.

A federal judge reviewing conditions at an immigration enforcement facility in suburban Chicago called reports of detainees sleeping next to overflowing toilets “disgusting” and “unconstitutional.”

The Department of Homeland Security announced that more than 1,500 immigrants were arrested in connection with the raid.

Contributors: Michael Loria, Eduardo Cuevas, Christopher Cann, Jack Armstrong, Suzette Hackney, Terry Collins. USA TODAY Network

Tatiana Schlossberg defeats RFK Jr., reveals terminal cancer diagnosis

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Tatiana Schlossberg defeats RFK Jr., reveals terminal cancer diagnosis

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Just eight months into treatment for a rare blood cancer, Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy and daughter of Caroline Kennedy, said the health care system she relied on felt “strained and unstable.”

Her concern stemmed from the February confirmation of her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. In a Nov. 12 essay in The New Yorker in which he revealed that he had less than a year to live, Schlossberg said nothing about the damage Kennedy’s actions have done and will inflict on cancer patients and medical research.

“I increasingly spent my life being cared for by doctors, nurses, and researchers who strive to improve the lives of others, and I watched Bobby spend nearly $500 million researching mRNA vaccines, a technology that can be used to treat certain cancers,” she wrote. “We cut billions of dollars in funding from the National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest sponsor of medical research.”

She wrote that doctors and scientists at Columbia University (Columbia Presbyterian Hospital), where her husband was a urology resident and where she was first treated, were unsure if they would be able to continue their research or even get jobs.

“In May, the university laid off 180 researchers in response to federal funding cuts,” she wrote.

At the age of 34, just hours after giving birth to her second child, a daughter, Schlossberg was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia with a rare mutation called inversion 3. Her 2-year-old son had just visited the hospital with his parents.

Kennedy, the son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of John F. Kennedy, is a longtime vaccine skeptic who has made sweeping changes to reshape vaccine, food and drug policy. HHS did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment from Kennedy for this essay.

In March, President Kennedy announced a major restructuring plan that included merging departments and cutting 20,000 full-time employees, saying it would save taxpayers $1.8 billion a year. President Kennedy also cut the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget from $127.6 billion in 2025 to $94.7 billion in 2026.

President Kennedy has repeatedly insisted that he is cutting bureaucracy, not research, and has also said that some grants that were erroneously frozen will be reinstated.

As of Nov. 21, HHS had reinstated about 52% of the discontinued NIH grants, or 2,860, according to Grant Witness, which tracks progress. However, more than 2,600 grants remain affected.

In August, President Kennedy called mRNA vaccine technology “ineffective,” arguing that the risks outweigh the benefits.

He said the decision affects 22 projects worth nearly $500 million at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which helps companies develop vaccines, drugs and diagnostics for public health emergencies.

Kennedy ran for president as a Democrat in 2024, but became an independent and ultimately supported candidate Donald Trump. When he joined the Trump campaign, he brought with him his newly instituted “Make America Healthy Again” movement, and Trump promised to give Kennedy “freedom” on health, food, and medical care.

Schlossberg, who has received two bone marrow transplants at New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, said she is concerned about how President Kennedy’s policies will affect research and clinical trials at the hospital.

“I was worried about funding for leukemia and bone marrow research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. I was worried about the clinical trial that was my only chance for remission,” Schlossberg wrote.

In January, Schlossberg participated in a clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy for certain blood cancers.

“During my most recent clinical trial, my doctor said I might be able to live for a year. My first thought was that the children whose face was permanently stuck inside my eyelids would never remember me,” she wrote in a heartbreaking essay.

In June, President Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Task Force, filling many of the positions with vaccine skeptics and people who had questioned the idea of ​​mandating COVID-19 vaccines.

Two months later, Kennedy fired CDC Director Susan Monares just 29 days after she was confirmed by the Senate. Monales said he was fired for refusing to “pre-approve the recommendations of a new Vaccine Advisory Committee made up of people who have publicly expressed anti-vaccination rhetoric.”

Schlossberg said that when she had postpartum hemorrhage early in her illness, she was given misoprostol to stop the bleeding.

“This drug is part of a medication abortion and is currently ‘under review’ by the Food and Drug Administration at Bobby’s recommendation,” she wrote. “I freeze when I think about what would have happened if I, and the millions of other women who need it to save their lives and get the care they deserve, had not had access to it right away.”

In May, President Kennedy directed the FDA to conduct a safety review of mifepristone, the main drug used in medical abortions. Misoprostol is the second drug in a two-pill regimen.

Schlossberg is not the first member of the Kennedy family to speak out against RFK Jr. Most of his siblings and cousins ​​supported former President Joe Biden in the election and ultimately condemned him for supporting Trump.

“My mother wrote a letter to the Senate trying to block his confirmation, and my brother has been speaking out against his lies for months,” Schlossberg wrote. “I watched from my hospital bed as Bobby used logic and common sense to get the job, even though he had never worked in medicine, public health, or government.”

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is USA TODAY’s White House correspondent. You can follow her at X @SwapnaVenugopal.

Comparing the box office revenue of ‘For Good’ to the original film

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Comparing the box office revenue of ‘For Good’ to the original film

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Cinemas couldn’t be happier as the new Wicked brings magic to the box office in 2025.

“Wicked: For Good,” the second installment of the two-part film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, opened this weekend to a whopping $150 million in North America, according to estimates from ComScore.

This box office gross surpassed the $112.5 million domestic opening of the original film Wicked, and set a new record for the biggest weekend opening ever for a film based on a Broadway production. This record was previously held by the original Wicked.

Wicked: For Good also had the second-highest opening weekend of the year in North America. That was slightly below “The Minecraft Movie,” which opened in April with $162.7 million, but ahead of “Lilo & Stitch,” which made $146 million in its first three days of release. Disney’s live-action remake opened in theaters over the Memorial Day long weekend and grossed $182.6 million, including Monday’s box office.

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Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will reprise their Oscar-nominated roles of Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in “For Good.” The production begins the second act of the Broadway show and concludes the characters’ stories while tying in with the events of “The Wizard of Oz.”

“For Good” had more generally mixed reviews among critics than the first “Wicked,” but audience reaction seems to be on par with the original. In a poll of movie fans conducted by CinemaScore, “Wicked: For Good” received an average rating of A, the same rating as 2024’s “Wicked.”

The film’s success gave movie theaters the blockbuster they had been waiting for after a fairly quiet fall movie season. In recent months, several titles have performed worse than expected, from the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Springsteen: Deliveringists from Nowhere” to Disney’s latest “Tron” sequel “Tron: Ares.”

Before “For Good,” the last movie to gross more than $100 million at the North American box office was “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” released in July.

But movie theaters won’t have to wait long for another blockbuster. The sequel to the animated blockbuster “Zootopia” is scheduled to be released on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 26, nearly 10 years after the original Disney film grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. Soon after, Avatar: Fire and Ash, the long-awaited second sequel to James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar, which became the highest-grossing film of all time, will be released.

While a direct sequel to Wicked is not expected, the cast may still have one last chance to bid farewell to the two films at the 2026 Oscars. The first “Wicked” received 10 nominations at the Academy Awards, and “For Good” could surpass that number as it includes two new original songs that will be considered for awards.

Inside Toyota’s $1.8 billion bet to reinvent auto manufacturing

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Inside Toyota’s .8 billion bet to reinvent auto manufacturing

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  • Toyota’s largest manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, is investing more than $1.8 billion in new technology.
  • The new system, called K-flex, allows the plant to build SUVs, hybrids, EVs and sedans on a single assembly line.
  • This flexible production line typically reduces the time and cost required to retrofit new vehicle models.

An autonomous sled carries the vehicle’s cannonballs, sending sparks in all directions, and a robotic arm the height of a basketball hoop is installed in the car’s window.

Like an otherworldly industrial symphony, each process plays its part in the complex rendition of the largest Toyota manufacturing plant on earth.

Located on 1,300 acres of land 110 miles from Louisville, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) represents the future of automotive production.

Toyota has 14 manufacturing plants across the United States, including in Indiana, Mississippi, and Jackson, Tennessee, where engine blocks, transmission cases, and housings are produced. So far, TMMK is the only Toyota plant in the world to implement this new technology.

However, as TMMK works to adapt its manufacturing capabilities, Toyota announced on November 18 that it will invest more than $912 million in renovating its manufacturing sites across five states, including TMMK and its Tennessee plant. The announcement comes a week after Toyota announced plans for a $13.9 billion battery factory in North Carolina.

Meanwhile, the company is spending $1.8 billion to install more flexible, technologically advanced production lines poised to redefine efficiency and scale at the plant, which will produce more than 435,600 vehicles and 714,400 engines in 2024.

Traditionally, manufacturing assembly lines have strict size requirements that limit production, but this is not the case with TMMK. SUVs, hybrids, EVs, and sedans can all be built on one line called K-flex.

In case you missed it: The 2026 Nissan Leaf is selected as “Car of the Year” and makes its first appearance at the Buzz Awards

What is Toyota’s new K-flex platform?

“A lot of people think that means flexibility in Kentucky, but what it really means is flexibility in the K platform,” said TMMK President Kelly Creech.

The Toyota-specific AK platform is a common skeleton that includes the chassis, suspension, and drivetrain of Toyota production vehicles such as the Camry, RAV, Highlander, Sienna, Lexus RX, and NX.

K-flex enables the versatility of a skeleton that shares SUV, hybrid, EV, and sedan all in one line.

Although only one of the three manufacturing lines is fully flexible, Creech, who began working at TMMK in 1990 as a member of the powertrain production team, said flexibility is essential across the assembly line as manufacturing demands evolve.

About 35 years ago, “we could only build sedans” due to size restrictions, he said. At the time, the industry produced about 80% sedans and 20% light trucks and SUVs. But “now that’s reversed,” Creech added.

To meet evolving consumer demands, Toyota is introducing new vehicle models. However, the traditional conversion process for electric and hybrid vehicles is expensive and time-consuming, which can delay production and strain production volumes.

As a result, automakers need to rethink the way they make cars to remain competitive in a market that is moving towards electrification and a wider variety of vehicles, Creech said.

“We had to have that flexibility, whether it’s a plug-in hybrid vehicle or a fully battery electric vehicle,” Creech said.

Traditionally, when preparing a new model, car manufacturers have invested heavily in modifying their production lines to match the dimensions of the next vehicle. That’s not the case with K-flex.

“So we’re able to significantly reduce not only our capital expenditures, but also our lead time to get ready for production. So we kind of have an advantage in this facility compared to a traditional facility, because every time we bring in a new vehicle, we’re changing some of the structure that’s there,” Chad Miller, vice president of manufacturing, said of the complexity required for different vehicles.

K-flex allows adjustment between many vehicles, but is not exhaustive. Some large vehicles, such as SUVs and frame trucks, are too large to be manufactured on flexible lines.

In addition to K platform products, TMMK also manufactures 4-cylinder and V6 engines, hydrogen fuel cell kits, axles, steering components, machine blocks, cylinder heads, crankshafts, camshafts, rod and axle assemblies and molds.

Coaches vote shuffled after Week 13

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Coaches vote shuffled after Week 13

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There’s no such thing as a quiet weekend in college football, but some weekends are less eventful than others. In that spirit, I’m naturally happy to report that after the action from Week 13, we don’t see any major changes in the U.S. LBM Coaches Poll.

There is no change in the top 11 teams, with Ohio State still holding onto the No. 1 spot. The Buckeyes received all but two of the 63 first-place votes, moving them into 15th place heading into their annual showdown with arch-rival Michigan. Indiana remained in second place, followed by Texas A&M, and the Aggies remained in first place with two votes remaining.

Georgia and Oregon rounded out the top five. Mississippi State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame and Alabama remain in the top 10.

Top 25: Respond to US LBM Coach Poll after Week 13

With limited movement this week, Vanderbilt moved up to No. 12, while Miami (Fla.) moved up two spots to No. 13, jumping over No. 14 Utah. No. 16 Texas, No. 17 Virginia and No. 18 Tennessee also moved up two spots.

Among the universities that have fallen in ranking, Georgia Tech lost to Pittsburgh and fell seven spots to 19th place, to 24th place. Southern California fell behind Oregon State, dropping four spots to 20th place.

Pittsburgh and No. 25 SMU are new additions to the rankings, replacing Missouri State and Houston.

This story has been updated to change the video.

A year of reviews proves the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is the best off-road pickup

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A year of reviews proves the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is the best off-road pickup

Jared Koufage
|Motor Trend

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Our one year review 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 went through it all with us during 50,000 miles of torture testing. Towing, cross-country transportation, overland travel, snow, mud, rock and more Details can be found within these links. This is your last chance to convince you that this is the most well-rounded off-road pickup truck you can buy.

Let me clarify that claim. There are midsize pickups that excel at certain types of off-roading. There are also mid-size pickup trucks that are more expensive than the Colorado ZR2.

Consider a mid-size pickup truck equipped for the trails right off the dealer lot. That list includes the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, and Ford Ranger Raptor. (We’ll omit the Canyon AT4, which is virtually identical to the Colorado.) The Nissan Frontier Pro 4X is competitively priced, but also lacks a true performance shock package.

crawl on rock

If your only source of off-road recreation is lapping your local rock trails, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon may be better suited to your needs, as it features a pair of Dana 44 live axles, each with selectable locking differentials. Additionally, the transfer case’s 4.0:1 low-frequency ratio makes the truck’s precision untouchable, even on rocky terrain. However, those who combine rock crawling with other dirt competitions should consider other options. None of these trucks can match the Rubicon’s sticky, low-speed crawling chop, but both the Colorado ZR2 and Ranger Raptor feature a pair of selectable locking differentials, which are a must for rock-strewn trails. Despite its high cost, the Tacoma TRD Pro does not have a front locking differential.

In case you missed it: Cadillac Escalade IQ Named 2026 Motor Trend SUV of the Year

run fast on dirt

If there’s one place the Colorado ZR2 outperforms the Gladiator Rubicon, it’s when speeds exceed walking pace. As we saw in direct comparison Between Chevrolet’s Tacoma TRD Pro and Jeep’s slightly faster Gladiator, the Mojave, the solid axle can’t keep up with the independent front suspension. This leaves the ZR2 in a battle with the Tacoma TRD Pro and Ranger Raptor.

The TRD Pro’s Fox shocks are intended to be customized, or “click-in,” based on surface type. To get the best performance, the driver has to crawl under the Tacoma and fiddle with the shocks every time it switches from pavement to dirt. Ford also uses Fox Live Valve shocks that use a series of sensors and computers to automatically adjust based on the terrain. No human input required. Colorado ZR2 uses spool valve shocks It minimizes body roll, handles G-outs, smooths washboard surfaces, and absorbs the impact of whoops. All this can be done without manual dials or electronic devices.

While the Live Valve shock is incredibly versatile and does a great job of handling surface irregularities, the Colorado ZR2’s Multimatic Spool Valve shock accomplishes the same job without the electronics and performs wonderfully and reliably on the variety of terrain we tested.

From an analytical standpoint, the Colorado ZR2 excels at rock crawling and is one of the best in the business when it comes to lively riding on dirt. But what else do you need to consider?

Thoughts after 50,000 miles: Ugly stuff.

Aside from regular oil changes (the manual says every 7,000 miles, but I seem to have no problem extending that to 10,000 miles), the Colorado ZR2 has been to the dealer numerous times with brake issues. Brake pads became clogged with dirt and debris, and the pads, rotors, or entire assembly had to be replaced before the repair was complete.

Our Colorado’s rear brake sensor wire also had a tendency to completely tear off from passing obstacles off-road. These same brakes also had a tendency to overheat quickly with vigorous driving on dirt roads, prompting warnings to reduce speed and eventually enabling a 45 mph limp mode. Despite these issues, I didn’t have any concerns when towing or towing on pavement.

Halfway through my stay on the Colorado, I also experienced a 12-volt battery failure. After the power brakes and steering failed while driving on the highway, the truck stopped in the driveway and would not start without the jumper pack. The dealership claimed that the truck’s battery had failed, causing a series of electric gremlins, which was completely normal for a 6-month-old Colorado. The battery was replaced under warranty.

The final complaint is the tires. I forgot to count how many plugs I installed on the tire tread patches and other places. (We told Jared to change the tire sooner, but he kept going further and further — ed.) The Goodyear Wrangler Territory M/T is perfectly fine for most on-road and off-road tasks, but under my watch it seemed to have an extreme affinity for the sharpest objects. Although some tires had plugs and patches sewn in, the factory tires, including a full-size spare, lasted 50,000 miles before needing to be replaced.

All in all, between regular oil changes, filter changes, brake work, and a new set of tires at the end of the loan, we spent $4,182.61 to keep our Colorado ZR2 running. I haven’t run any of my off-road annual review rigs in these harsh conditions recently, so it’s difficult to make a direct comparison, but here are the closest ones from a cost/mileage standpoint: 2023 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Hybrid. The truck cost $2,957.40 over approximately 30,000 miles, likely exceeding the cost of a small Colorado by the time the odometer hit 50,000 miles.

On the fueling front, our Colorado ZR2 fell short of its already low 17/17/17 mpg city/highway/combined EPA ratings, averaging just 15.3 mpg and $0.26 per mile over a year of heavy off-road, towing, and long-distance highway driving. This isn’t great, but it’s not far from the performance of other midsize pickups we reviewed over the year. For example, the 2023 Nissan Frontier SV 4×4 longbed we started with averaged 16.4 mpg, but cost us $0.31 per mile because we rarely strayed far from the Los Angeles metropolitan area, where gas is more expensive.

judgment

Why spend more money on a Tacoma TRD Pro with inferior shocks and fewer off-road tools?The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is only reasonable if you absolutely need the most serious equipment for rocky terrain. The Ranger Raptor has very similar off-road gear to the Colorado ZR2, but it costs more to do so. If all you need is a rear locking differential and entry-level Bilstein shocks, the Nissan Frontier Pro-4X will suffice.

Motor Trend details: 2026 Honda Prelude arrives with high price and high expectations

After more than 50,000 miles, I would argue that from a dollar-per-performance standpoint, the Colorado ZR2 is the best midsize off-road pickup truck money can buy. I know that’s where I’m going to spend my money.

Read more about the long-running Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 below.

2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Specifications
Basic price $48,395
tested price $52,830
option ZR2 Convenience Package ($1,490: driver memory settings, heated steering wheel, Jet Black/Artemis perforated leather front seats, rear center armrest, driver back map pocket, ventilated driver and passenger seats, wireless charging; Safety Package: rear cross-traffic brake, blind zone steering assist, rear park assist), power sliding glass sunroof with manual shade. ($1,000), Technology Package ($950: HD Surround)Sound, Rear Pedestrian Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control), Premium Audio System ($500), Radiant Red Tintcoat ($495)
vehicle layout Front engine, front motor, 4WD, 5 pass, 4 door pickup truck
power train 2.7L Turbo Direct Injection DOHC 16-valve I-4, 310 hp @ 5,600 rpm, 430 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
total power 310hp
total torque 430 lb-ft
contagion; infection 8 speed automatic
Vehicle weight (F/R distance) £4,974 (56/44%)
wheelbase 131.0 inches
Length x width x height 212.7 x 76.4 x 73.8 inches
tire Goodyear Wrangler MT 287/75R17LT
EPA Fuel Economy, City/Highway/Combined 17/17/17mpg
EPA range 557 miles
motor trend test results
0-60MPH 6.9 seconds
quarter mile 15.4 seconds @ 88.1 mph
Brakes, 60-0 mph 129 feet
lateral acceleration 0.72g
figure eight wrap 29.2 seconds @ 0.57 g (average)
ownership experience
Service life 12 months/53,226 miles
real world fuel economy 15.3mpg
Energy cost per mile $0.26
Service outage days 3
maintenance and wear 7,673 miles: First oil/filter change and tire rotation at the dealer, $136.07 23,477 miles: Second oil/filter change, tire rotation, new wipers, engine air filter, and cabin air filter, $410.94 31,647 miles: 3rd oil change, new battery, rear brake pads and rotors replaced, fuel injector recall, $1,289.19 40,444 miles: 4th oil change/oil filter/engine air filter at dealer, $193.54. 50,753 miles: 5th oil change/oil filter/brake service at dealer, $1,015.80. 53,226 miles: 5 replacement OE Goodyear tires, $1,137.07.
damage 7,151 miles: Flat tire replacement and installation, $420.23. $20, 53,000 miles for Smittybilt plug kit in truck salvage kit with 6 flat tires stuck: Taillight broken in loading accident, pending replacement. All skid plates are skidded and rock sliders are used to slide over rocks
recall 31,647 mi: ECM reflash under warranty updated fuel injector flow

Photo credit: Jered Korfhage

Is Donald Trump, Elon Musk’s presidency officially over? What you need to know.

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Is Donald Trump, Elon Musk’s presidency officially over? What you need to know.

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The Department of Government Efficiency is reportedly long gone, a controversial effort by President Donald Trump that laid off thousands of government workers but failed to deliver on promises to cut the federal budget.

This, according to a statement from administration officials, is the proverbial nail in DOGE’s coffin after months of funding cuts and public hostility between the president and the agency’s former chief, tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Secretary Scott Cooper told Reuters earlier this month that DOGE is no longer a “centralized agency.” This is the first time that an official has said that DOGE, which was established less than a year ago, has effectively been disbanded.

Asked about DOGE’s status, Kupol told Reuters: “There is no such thing.”

In response to questions from USA TODAY, OPM pointed to the manager’s social media post on Nov. 23.

“DOGE may not have centralized leadership under @USDS,” Kupor said, referring to the US Digital Service, which has been reorganized into DOGE. “But the principles of DOGE are still alive and well: deregulation, eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse, reorganizing the federal workforce, and making efficiency a first-class citizen.”

Coupole said the agency will “institutionalize” the changes DOGE has made.

The initiative was launched on President Trump’s first day in office in January 2025, and quickly upended many parts of the federal government. It seized control of the information technology infrastructure, terminated federal contracts, and forced or fired tens of thousands of workers.

Trump campaigned for the 2024 presidential election on the promise of reducing the size of the government. However, within months of its creation, DOGE faced several legal challenges and became the center of protests by fired employees.

Here’s what you need to know about the Trump administration’s representative agency.

more: DOGE is putting the Social Security data of millions of Americans at risk, whistleblower says

more: Elon Musk quietly returns to the White House as feud with Trump fades

Is DOGE still active?

It’s not clear. According to Kupol’s comments to Reuters, the Office of Personnel Management has taken over many of DOGE’s functions and the agency no longer exists.

But even after Musk’s dramatic resignation in May, DOGE was scheduled to continue operating through the summer of 2026 under an executive order signed by President Trump in January. As of mid-November, the engine’s lifespan was about 10 months.

What did Doge do?

DOGE is part of the brainchild of Musk, who supported Trump in the 2024 election and became one of the Trump campaign’s biggest donors.

The executive order establishing the agency states its goals are to reduce spending and eliminate “waste, bloat, and insularity” in the federal bureaucracy.

Although DOGE claims to have reduced federal spending by tens of billions of dollars since its creation, DOGE does not provide access to its accounting methods and its estimates have not been independently verified.

Musk has repeatedly insisted that the agency will reduce the deficit by $1 trillion to $2 trillion within the first year. However, the agency’s own calculations published on its website show it has fallen short of that goal. As of November 23, DOGE claims savings have reached $214 billion, less than a quarter of its most modest promise.

When did Elon Musk quit DOGE?

Mr. Musk’s tenure in government was short. In May, the technology mogul and former right-hand man of the president announced he would leave the administration after less than four months as a “special public servant.”

During that time, Musk’s role in the White House faced several challenges. His closeness to the president has sparked a backlash against his car company, Tesla, among some Americans. Musk has clashed with several senior Trump officials over the cost-cutting agenda, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro.

But much has changed since Mr. Musk began criticizing Mr. Trump and his signature spending and tax bill, which he called “a big, beautiful bill,” before Republicans narrowly passed it.

more: Musk and Trump are at odds over the tax bill. Timeline of their jabs

Musk resigned in late May after publicly feuding with Trump over the bill, which Trump criticized and would increase the federal deficit.

After Musk resigned, the administration did not immediately appoint a replacement.

“DOGE leaders are each member of the President’s Cabinet and the President himself,” White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said in a May 29 briefing with reporters.

Several other DOGE executives also left the Trump administration with Musk, and the agency, which at one time had more than 100 employees, has shrunk even further.

Contributor: Joey Garrison, America today.

Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml.

7 smart ways to spend your FSA money before it expires

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7 smart ways to spend your FSA money before it expires

There are many options beyond seeing your doctor and taking over-the-counter medications.

Kylie Hagen, CFP
|The Motley Fool

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While it’s nice to be healthier than you expected this year, there may be a small downside to having a lot of money left in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Unlike Health Savings Accounts (HSA), FSA funds generally do not roll over to the next year. If you don’t spend the money by the end of the year, it can be confiscated.

Luckily, you still have a few weeks left to use up your remaining FSA funds. You can use it to pay for doctor’s visits, medical equipment such as wheelchairs, and the purchase of over-the-counter medicines. The following seven items may also qualify for FSA if they first meet certain criteria.

1. Treatment

Talk therapy can be an FSA-eligible expense when used to treat a diagnosed mental illness. For example, if you’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and are seeking therapy to treat it, you can use FSA funds to cover the costs associated with therapy sessions.

However, services such as couples and family counseling are not eligible for FSAs. While this may improve the quality of your life and home, it is not a treatment for a specific medical condition and will need to be paid for in other ways.

2. Smoking-free products

If you want to quit smoking or vaping, the products you use for that purpose, such as nicotine patches and gum, are eligible for FSA. Be sure to keep your receipts to prove you spent your FSA funds on approved items.

3. Weight loss program

Weight loss programs aimed at treating medical conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure may be eligible for an FSA. A formal diagnosis from a health care provider is required before spending FSA funds on these programs.

4. Gym membership

Similar to a weight loss program, you may qualify for a gym membership if your sole purpose is to treat an illness or rehabilitate an injury. If you just want to go to the gym to improve your health and well-being, that’s great, but you’ll have to pay for it yourself.

5. Certain modifications to homes and vehicles

Although it may seem unusual to use FSA funds to make home improvements, it is allowed if the changes are related to a covered medical condition. For example, if you recently started using a wheelchair, you can pay to enlarge your doorway, add a ramp to your home, or modify your vehicle to accommodate your wheelchair.

6. Guide dogs and service animals

If you have a guide dog or service animal, you can use FSA funds to pay for the cost of purchasing, training, and maintaining your animal. This includes food, grooming, and vet costs. However, this does not apply to general household pets.

7. Medical travel expenses

In some cases, you may have to travel far from home to receive medical care. In these cases, transportation, meals, and lodging expenses may be eligible for FSA. However, the main purpose of the trip should be your medical care.

What if I can’t use all my FSA funds on time?

You typically have until December 31st to use your FSA money. Your FSA money will then be confiscated. However, some employers offer one of two strategies to help employees keep excess funds. You can either give yourself a 2.5 month grace period to use up your remaining funds, or you can roll over the $660 until 2026. You don’t have both options.

If you have any questions about your company’s policies, please consult your company’s human resources department. If there’s no grace period or rollover option, you’ll need to make a plan to spend your remaining FSA funds in the coming weeks.

If you’re planning an upcoming doctor’s appointment, keep in mind that you can also use your FSA funds to cover health insurance deductibles and copays. However, these funds typically cannot be used to pay monthly premiums.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner providing financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Mamdani still considers Trump a ‘fascist’ after friendly meeting

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Mamdani still considers Trump a ‘fascist’ after friendly meeting

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New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani reiterated his previous criticism of the Republican leader, saying he has not changed his position on President Donald Trump after a friendly meeting with the president at the White House.

In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker asked Mamdani if ​​she still believed the president was a fascist and a threat to democracy.

The mayor-elect, a democratic socialist, said he stands by the statements he made in his Nov. 4 victory speech, including claims that the president is engaging in an attack on American democracy and represents “fascists” and “tyrants.”

In the interview, Welker also touched on an exchange during a meeting between Trump and Mamdani in the Oval Office in which a reporter asked Mamdani if ​​she thought Trump was a fascist.

As Mamdani began to respond, standing next to the president sitting at his resolute desk, Trump was quick to crack a joke.

President Trump told Mamdani: “It’s okay. Just say ‘yes.'” “It’s easy. It’s easier than explaining. I don’t care.”

more: Key takeaways from Mamdani and Trump’s Oval Office love fest

Mamdani said in an interview aired on Sunday that he answered “yes” to a reporter’s question after Trump took the jab.

“That’s what I’ve said in the past and I’ll say it today,” Mamdani said.

more: Are the wealthy fleeing Mandani’s Manhattan? This is not according to the data.

more: Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani reveals his selection for NYPD’s top cop

Although different definitions exist, most experts agree that fascism is an extreme combination of nationalism and militarism, often accompanied by a cult of personality surrounding the leader.

Mamdani’s appearance on “Meet the Press” was Mamdani’s first national interview since their meeting at the White House, and the pair’s friendly and positive attitude drew attention from the public after months of suffering. In the run-up to his landslide election day victory, President Trump accused the mayor-elect of being a communist and a “head job” in several social media posts.

Mamdani said he had not changed his mind about the president’s position, but said he hoped the two countries could work together to address affordability issues. Mamdani’s successful campaign centered around the cost of housing, childcare and groceries.

“What I appreciated in my conversations with the president was that he wasn’t shy about our differences and the politics that brought us to this moment,” Mamdani said of Trump. “And we also wanted to focus on what it would look like to provide a common analysis of the affordability crisis for New Yorkers,” he said.

Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml.

Contributor: Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Klay Thompson defeats Ja Morant after post-game confrontation

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Klay Thompson defeats Ja Morant after post-game confrontation

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Klay Thompson didn’t hide his thoughts about Memphis Grizzlies guard Jay Morant after the heated postgame confrontation between the NBA stars.

“As for Jay, he’s a funny guy. He always has a lot to say, especially for a guy who takes so little responsibility. But guess what? That’s for another time,” Thompson said.

Morant, who did not play in the Grizzlies’ 102-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks, put his finger in Thompson’s face after the final whistle. Thompson clapped Morant’s hand and the two had to be separated while exchanging words.

When Morant asked what he said, Thompson replied, “Nothing intellectually deep.”

“He’s just mouthing. He’s been blurting for a long time, but it’s weird to blurt out when he’s on the bench,” Thompson said. “This is kind of the story of his career so far, and we just want to know more. You know, we all want to see him go out there and do his best, but he just has a lot of other things getting in the way of that. You need that in the NBA, you need the best players to be out there.

“Being a star comes with great responsibility. I don’t want to see that go to waste.”

Tension between Thompson and the Grizzlies began when Memphis forward Santi Aldama appeared to intentionally trip top pick Cooper Flagg while Aldama was on the ground. Thompson confronted Aldama about his actions.

That bad feeling seems to have spilled over into the conflict between Morant and Thompson, who is currently out with an injury. Morant also appeared to criticize Thompson while interrupting teammate Cam Spencer’s postgame interview.

Get to the heart of the news quickly with the USA TODAY app. Download award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, e-newspapers, and more.

What people misunderstand about ‘Baylen Out Loud’ and Tourette Syndrome

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What people misunderstand about ‘Baylen Out Loud’ and Tourette Syndrome

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Baylen Dupree was walking through the store when she noticed something wasn’t right. She had a strange feeling that she was being followed.

She was suffering from ticking, a symptom of then-undiagnosed Tourette syndrome, and realized she was being filmed.

When she got home, she decided to tell her own story instead of letting others tell it. “I’m trying to understand myself,” she said in a video posted to TikTok. “I’m ready to come out of my shell.”

In 2020, she quickly gained a following of rabid fans, as well as viewers and people in the Tourette’s community who were captivated by her unfiltered videos of her as a young person managing vocal and motor tics. “I wanted my power back,” Dupree, now 23, told USA TODAY.

As her platform grew and her symptoms reached their peak, hate began to flood the comments section, with trolls accusing her of faking and exaggerating her condition to get attention.

But Dupree kept posting, eventually amassing 10.8 million followers on TikTok. In January 2025, her reality show “Baylen Out Loud” premiered on TLC and is currently in its second season.

“Over the past five years, my progress has been exponential,” she says over video chat. “I have come a long way from where I started. My medical journey has been a process and it has been tough.”

What people misunderstand about Tourette syndrome

Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by sudden, involuntary movements and sounds called tics that cannot be easily controlled.

Common motor tics may include eye blinking or head twitching, while complex motor tics may manifest as stepping in a pattern or repeating an observed action. Vocal tics may include moaning or barking, and more complex but less common vocal tics include using vulgar or abusive language, repeating words or phrases of others or one’s own. Tics can be made worse by stress or excitement, and can change over time, usually improving from adolescence to adulthood.

There is no cure for Tourette syndrome, but treatments are available.

Mr. Dupree suffers from corruption, which causes him to curse and make socially inappropriate comments. She says one of the most common misconceptions about Tourette syndrome is that everyone has the same symptoms or that everyone with the condition has a bad name. Stool syndrome is the most widely known symptom of Tourette syndrome, but it is also one of the rarest. Only about 10% of people with Tourette’s disease show plaque.

Dupree had a hard time getting the diagnosis: ‘It’s hard to believe’

Dupree’s tics were mild in high school, but they worsened during the COVID-19 lockdown. None of her friends knew she had Tourette syndrome. She “hid from the whole world.”

She also had trouble finding a neurologist who specialized in Tourette syndrome and often felt like she was just a patient and not a person.

“It’s so easy to be misunderstood and grossly misdiagnosed…It’s unbelievable,” she said, adding that she knows several people in the Tourette’s community who have been sent to psychiatric wards because of the condition.

One doctor told her, “We don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you can’t drive, work, or go to school.” I spent months looking for more doctors and working with neurologists, only to find out that their specialty was either epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.

Starting ‘Baylen Out Loud’ took a ‘huge leap of faith’

For Dupree, the most difficult part of filming Balen Out Loud was not being able to control how he presented himself. She loves the crew and working at TLC, but says showing Tourette’s syndrome “the right way” is “very difficult.” She says her condition could be exploited for ratings and drama and it took a “huge leap of faith” to start the show.

Ms. Dupree suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a comorbidity of Tourette syndrome.

“There’s so much different content under the Tourettes umbrella that if you don’t really know how it’s going to be edited, it’s definitely a risk to present it to the audience in the most complete, correct, understandable way,” she explains.

“Baylen Out Loud” shows her hardships and progress

Ms. Dupree uses comprehensive behavioral interventions for tics, also known as “CBIT” therapy, to manage her tics, and viewers get a peek into her sessions with Dana Wachter, RN.

This is a non-drug treatment that trains patients to be more aware of their tics and urges, engage in competing behaviors to stop the urges, and make daily changes to reduce tics.

Dupree started working with Wachter before he became famous on social media.

“(Dupree’s) many comorbidities, including depression and anxiety, were triggers for her tics,” Wachter said. “We talked about listening to music to suppress what we call a premonition, the feeling you get before something clicks.”

Wachter compares suppressing a tic to forcing your eyes open. You can tolerate it for a while, but eventually your eyes will become hot and you will have to blink. CBIT therapy emphasizes calming activities, such as listening to music or playing with a pet, to reduce the urge to tic.

“Her progress has been amazing,” Wachter says. “She’s married now, and the most fulfilling thing for me as a therapist…is that she was someone who was struggling and needed help, and now she’s helping others.”

Masking, a tool she learned in CBIT therapy, is uncomfortable and challenging for her, but she “uses it all the time.” She learned how to camouflage her tics into sentences or whisper them into her arm.

She also works with Dr. Alice Flaherty, a neurologist who specializes in Tourette syndrome, to manage medication. Dupree calls both herself and her watchers “family.” They’re even invited to her wedding in 2026 (the planning of which is the focus of this season’s “Baylen Out Loud”).

Dupree doesn’t do tics like he did at the beginning of the show, and sometimes those “good tic days” can feel “weird.” But, she says, “with or without Tourette’s and OCD, I’m still bilen.”

“At the end of the day, my tics aren’t my identity, my OCD, none of that is my identity. But I think of it as a part of me in a weird way, because it’s never going to go away,” she says.

What Dupree wants viewers to take away from ‘Baylen Out Loud’

Ms. Dupree didn’t realize how much of an impact she would have on her viewers. I still don’t realize it until fans stop me on the street or comment on my social media posts.

“It’s crazy to think that ‘Baylen Out Loud’ has helped so many people not only understand themselves, but understand themselves,” she says. That’s her favorite part of the show.

“I went to a Commanders game the other day and this woman came up to me and said, ‘Because of you, my son is alive today.’ That’s why I’m doing what I do.”

Israel attacks Beirut for the first time in months, targeting Hezbollah leader

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Israel attacks Beirut for the first time in months, targeting Hezbollah leader

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on November 23 that Israel targeted the chief of staff of Lebanese Iranian group Hezbollah in an attack on the southern outskirts of the capital Beirut.

It was the first strike in recent months in the capital’s southern suburbs, known for housing Hezbollah leaders.

The target of the attack was military official Ali Tabtabai, according to Israeli and Lebanese security officials briefed on the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has not said whether Tabtabai was killed.

In 2016, the United States identified Tabtabai as a key military leader of Hezbollah and imposed sanctions with a reward of up to $5 million for information about Tabtabai.

The bombing hit a main road in Beirut’s southern suburbs, and residents told Reuters they heard the roar of fighter jets before the explosion.

A Reuters reporter on the ground said people rushed out of their apartment buildings, fearing further strikes.

At least two people were killed and 20 injured were taken to area hospitals, medical officials said.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Israeli attacks on Hezbollah over the past two years have killed then-leader Hassan Nasrallah, many of the group’s military leaders, and about 5,000 fighters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on November 23, before the attack, that Israel would continue its fight against “terrorism” on many fronts.

“We will continue to do whatever it takes to prevent Hezbollah from regaining the ability to threaten us again,” he said.

Israel has stepped up airstrikes in southern Lebanon, carrying out near-daily attacks that it says are aimed at preventing a military resurgence by Hezbollah in the border area.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of attempting to rearm since a U.S.-backed ceasefire last year. The group says it is ending its military presence in border areas near Israel and complying with requirements for deploying Lebanese troops to the area.

(Reporting by Laila Bassam, Maya Gebeily, Jaidaa Taha, Ahmed Tolba, Alexander Cornwell; Writing by Jaidaa Taha; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle, Alexandra Hudson, Ros Russell)

Jasmine Crockett wants to partner with MTG on safety bill

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Jasmine Crockett wants to partner with MTG on safety bill

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In response to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s decision to leave Congress next year, the Democratic lawmaker who made headlines on social media for insulting the Georgia Republican is now offering to work with her.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said in a social media post on Nov. 21 that she wanted to work with Greene on a “safety bill” for lawmakers. The Republican lawmaker said earlier this month that he had received a series of threats amid his feud with President Donald Trump.

“My office has reached out to MTG to work on safety legislation for our members,” Crockett told X. “If there is interest, we will work together on this effort. We could have a draft by January.”

Crockett said she was shocked after Greene’s announcement, but pointed out that “the threat posed by standing opposite Trump is real!”

Mr Greene’s decision to leave parliament next year sent shockwaves through the party, but could open the way for him to work with Mr Crockett, more than a year after the two traded personal insults in a Commons committee.

The altercation began after Greene told Crockett during a May 2024 House Oversight Committee meeting, “I don’t think you know what you’re here for. I think your fake eyelashes are ruining what you’re reading.”

Mr Crockett then responded by asking what kind of language could violate parliamentary protocol, alluding to Mr Green’s comments.

“I’m just curious…if someone on this committee starts talking about someone’s bleach-blonde, bad-fit butch body, that’s not about personality, right?”

Crockett called Greene’s comments racist and trademarked the phrase “BLEACH BLONDE BAD BUILT BUTCH BODY,” which went viral on social media.

The two sides continued to trade jabs after the exchange and have been in even more heated confrontations, with each known as a flashpoint representing opposing sides of the political spectrum.

Greene’s decision to leave Congress deepened her disconnect with the MAGA movement and other Republican leaders. Greene, once one of the most vocal MAGA allies in the House, announced her resignation in a lengthy four-page statement and video address in which she accused Congress of being tied to financial interests and failing to make effective changes in the lives of ordinary Americans.

more: ‘Marjorie is ruined’: President Trump pursues Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation

The congressman, who represents Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, spent much of Trump’s first year in office bashing fellow Republicans, pushing back on the president’s new policy goals and feuding with House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The conflict came to a head on November 14, when the president withdrew his support for the Georgia congressman. In the days after Greene’s announcement, Trump redoubled his attacks on her, calling her a traitor and saying she would lose reelection in 2026.

more: Marjorie Taylor Greene resigns from Congress to live a fulfilling life

more: ‘I worship God, not Donald Trump,’ says MAGA stalwart Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Still, Crockett tried to work with Greene before her announcement on the Congressional Security Act, telling CNN that she reached out to Greene about the issue shortly after Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September but did not receive a response.

“If you can put Marjorie and I as co-stars in something, it automatically gets attention and it also makes it clear to the American people that we can bridge these gaps if we decide we want to do it,” Crockett told CNN.

Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml.

Food prices are rising. Will Thanksgiving cost more?

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Food prices are rising. Will Thanksgiving cost more?

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For a change of pace, here’s how rising food prices are making the cost of a meal go down, not up.

The cost of Thanksgiving meals has decreased this year, according to a new analysis from the Wells Fargo Agriculture and Food Research Institute.

The annual report examines the price consumers pay for a traditional Thanksgiving meal that includes turkey, vegetables, cranberries and other side dishes, stuffing and rolls, pumpkin pie and drinks for 10 people. USA TODAY had exclusive early coverage of the Wells Fargo report.

A national brand menu for 10 people will cost $95, and an all-private label or store brand menu will cost $80, according to Wells Fargo.

what’s happening with turkey prices

Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist at Wells Fargo, said the CPI for household food prices rose 2.7% in September from a year earlier, but prices on Wells Fargo’s Thanksgiving menu fell about 2% to 3%, depending on a shopper’s strategy.

Mr Swanson said the two main reasons for the increase in food CPI this year were higher beef prices and the initial spike in egg prices due to bird flu.

“If you take those two out of the index, it’s actually a completely different story. Typically, neither element is featured on Thanksgiving,” Swanson told USA TODAY.

Other predictions are that Thanksgiving prices could rise, but Swanson said that’s the difference between wholesale and consumer prices.

Swanson said some retailers planned more for the holidays than others. Bird flu has previously affected some turkey flocks, and this year’s inventory is lower than last year. Swanson said retailers that had locked in low prices could pass those prices on to shoppers, while others could set higher prices.

Aldi and Walmart recently announced that a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people will cost $40, USA TODAY previously reported.

How do people plan to celebrate Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving meal prep plans vary from person to person. According to the NIQ survey, 39% of respondents said they planned to prepare meals from scratch, and 20% said they would include a combination of store-bought and homemade items on the table.

Shoppers are feeling stressed by rising food prices, with 58% of those surveyed citing concerns about food price inflation. As a result, 25% said they plan to buy more private label brands, and 31% said they would choose private label over name brand if possible. There are still 5% of people who say they prefer name brands.

Some people are also looking for other ways to reduce the cost of the celebration. According to NIQ, 31% are holding smaller gatherings, 31% are skipping “non-essentials” like flower arrangements, and 27% are eating fewer side dishes.

What will be the price of some Thanksgiving meals?

Here are the prices for various popular cuts of Thanksgiving meals:

Frozen vegetables: This year, prices for private and national brands of frozen vegetables have changed. According to Wells Fargo, national brand name frozen vegetables are down 15%, while private label vegetables are up 0.8%. Swanson said store brands are gaining acceptance, with shoppers continuing to feel like they’re “not really sacrificing quality by purchasing store brands.” National brands need to innovate and lower prices to remain competitive, he said. For those who prefer fresh vegetables, the price is the same or slightly higher than frozen vegetables.

Cranberries, gravy, rolls, pumpkin pie: Wells Fargo said private label dinner rolls had the biggest savings this year, with a 22% price reduction. Some key side dishes, such as stuffing, cooked gravy mixes and fresh cranberries, also fell 3% to 4% from last year. Nationally branded pumpkin pie also fell 3%.

Grocery prices: Food prices are skyrocketing. Let me explain why.

Prepared mashed potatoes: Swanson said the dish appeared on Wells Fargo’s Thanksgiving menu for the first time this year because of the popularity of cooked mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving menus. Although it’s cheaper to peel and cook fresh potatoes, many Americans are opting for the convenience of pre-cooked mashed potato mixes, he said. Prices fell 1.5% from last year.

The prices of some side dishes have increased. According to the report, the overall dairy category increased 1.4% year over year, with prepackaged salad mixes increasing 0.3% and whipped cream increasing 3%.

Bring me a drink: This year’s drinks are varied. Beer prices are up 3% year over year, while the overall wine category is either flat or down slightly by 0.1% year over year. Soft drinks saw both increases and decreases, with prices for 12-ounce cans down 3% from last year, but prices for 2-liter bottles up 7%. But even with that increased volume, 2-liter bottles are still more economical than 12-ounce cans, Swanson said.

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her at @blinfisher on X, Facebook and Instagram and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky.. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, breaking down complex consumer and financial news. Subscribe here.

College football top 25 poll ranking predictions after Week 13

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College football top 25 poll ranking predictions after Week 13

Think of this as a one-week grace period.

After weeks of chaos in the U.S. LBM Coaches Poll and just days away from a make-or-break Thanksgiving weekend, the top College Football Playoff contenders had a mostly uneventful Saturday, but the top 10 is unlikely to change.

All seven teams competing – Indiana, Mississippi State and Texas Tech – won by double-digit margins, including a dominant Power 4 rivalry by Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Texas A&M and Alabama upset the Championship Subdivision race, with Georgia overtaking Charlotte.

The closest, and perhaps most important result, was the University of Oklahoma’s 17-6 victory over Missouri State to stay in the playoff race.

Here’s what the top 10 will look like when the coaches poll is announced later Sunday.

1. Ohio State (11-0)

The Buckeyes gained a season-high 254 yards in a Bowl Subdivision game and held Rutgers to 147 yards in a 42-9 victory. The Buckeyes look poised to beat Michigan and advance to the Big Ten championship game, and we’ve said it before.

2. Indiana (11-0)

The idle Hoosiers shut out the game against Purdue. Losing in a rivalry matchup is almost unimaginable, but even a shocking loss won’t keep Indiana from winning the Big Ten championship. If Ohio State also loses, Oregon State and Michigan State will be eliminated by Indianapolis.

3. Texas A&M (11-0)

Next up was Texas, who looked very good offensively against a very bad Arkansas defense. Similar to Ohio State and Michigan State, the Aggies look built to slow down the Longhorns’ offense, make key plays through the air, and win the rivalry to remain undefeated. But this must be an aerial battle.

4. Georgia (10-1)

If Alabama loses to Auburn, Georgia will face Texas A&M. After eight overtimes in last year’s game, the Bulldogs hope to end their game against Georgia Tech with an easy victory.

5. Oregon State (10-1)

Finally, Oregon State was able to issue a statement of victory to the playoff committee. This would almost clinch a spot for the Ducks heading into their rivalry with Washington. One possible scenario is if Brigham Young beats Texas Tech to win the Big 12, they would be in trouble losing to the Huskies.

6. Mississippi State (10-1)

Amid all the drama and controversy surrounding Lane Kiffin’s future, the Rebels are coming off their best regular season in decades with an Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State.

7. Texas Tech (10-1)

The Red Raiders can always make the playoffs if they win against the Big 12, but not failing against West Virginia will be a big help. Tech, which has already defeated BYU once, can still afford to take the at-large spot even if it withdraws from the rematch.

8.28 Offer (9-2)

The offense is not very good and hasn’t been very good all season. Looking forward, it’s the lack of punch and explosiveness that will prevent Oklahoma from making any significant advances in the playoffs. But getting there is critical to the program’s development, and defeating Missouri State keeps the Sooners on track to win against LSU and host a first-round game.

9. Notre Dame Cathedral (9-2)

Notre Dame scored 35 points in the first quarter and outscored Syracuse 70-7. The Irish can’t do anything about tying the Orange and Stanford to end the year, so maybe they’re planning on obliterating both teams to keep the committee from trying to do anything crazy.

10. Alabama (9-2)

This is the biggest Iron Bowl in years. Losing is a huge blow for Karen DeBoer, who has lost three regular season games in each of her two years. Alabama should win and shouldn’t have to struggle to do so, but crazy, crazy things have happened before in this Jordan vs. Hare rivalry.

World leaders gather after President Trump sets deadline for Russia-Ukraine plan

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World leaders gather after President Trump sets deadline for Russia-Ukraine plan

Olivia Le Poidevin and Emma Farge
|Reuters

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Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials met in Geneva on Nov. 23 to discuss a draft plan presented by the U.S. government to end the war in Ukraine, after Kiev and its allies expressed alarm at what they saw as major concessions to Russia’s aggressor.

President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has until November 27 to approve a 28-point plan calling for Ukraine to cede territory, accept military restrictions and abandon its ambitions to join NATO.

For many Ukrainians, including soldiers on the front lines, such terms would amount to surrender after nearly four years of fighting in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. On Nov. 22, President Trump said the current proposal to end the war is not the final one.

Since the plan was announced, there has been considerable confusion about who was involved in its development. European allies said they had not been consulted.

Before heading to Geneva, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed in a post on X that the plan was created by Washington. He posted the remarks after Republican Sen. Mike Rounds said Rubio called him and other senators and explained that the offer was received by the United States and passed on to Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the X program that Ukraine’s allies are ready to work on the plan, but before doing so “it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where it was created.”

Government officials arrive in Geneva

President Zelenskiy welcomed the diplomatic efforts in Geneva and said he hoped they would lead to results.

“The bloodshed must be stopped and the war must never be reignited,” he told X.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine on November 24 and share the results with Western leaders and allies.

Dangerous moment for Ukraine

The draft plan contains many of Russia’s key demands, offers Ukraine only vague guarantees of “robust security,” and comes at a dangerous time for the country.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on November 23 that Ukraine’s borders cannot be changed by force, that the military cannot be left vulnerable to attack, and that the European Union must play a central role in any Ukraine peace agreement.

Russia has continued to make slow advances along the front in eastern and southern Ukraine, advances that Western and Ukrainian officials say have been extremely costly in terms of loss of life.

The transport hub of Pokrovsk is partially occupied by Russian forces, and Ukrainian military commanders say they do not have enough soldiers to fend off a small and persistent invasion.

Ukraine’s power and gas facilities have been hit by drone and missile attacks, leaving millions of people without running water, heat or electricity for hours each day.

President Zelenskiy himself has been under pressure domestically since a major corruption scandal broke, involving his ministers and some of his top aides.

Kiev has braced itself in recent weeks after the United States tightened sanctions on Russia’s oil sector, a major source of funding for the war, while its own long-range drone and missile attacks inflicted heavy damage on the industry.

However, the draft peace plan has caused major concerns as it appears to return diplomatic advantages to Moscow. Ukraine relies heavily on U.S. intelligence and weapons to sustain its war against Russia.

Europe drafts plan based on US proposal

On November 23, just as negotiations were about to begin, a convoy of diplomatic vehicles traveled to and from Geneva.

US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll is also in Geneva for talks, and the Ukrainian delegation is led by Andriy Yermak, head of President Zelensky’s office.

Ermak said his delegation will meet with the national security advisers of Britain, France and Germany, and then consult with the United States.

European and other Western leaders said the U.S. peace plan lays the foundation for talks to end the war, but that “additional work” is needed. German government officials said a European peace plan based on the U.S. proposal had been sent to Ukraine and the U.S. administration.

President Zelensky warned that the plan risked causing Ukraine to lose its dignity and freedom, or the support of the U.S. government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the plan as a cornerstone of conflict resolution, but the Kremlin may object to some of the plan’s proposals, which call for the withdrawal of Russian troops from some occupied areas.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Julia Payne in Johannesburg, Anastasia Malenko and Pavel Polychuk in Kiev; Jan Strupshevsky, Timothy Gardner and Ismail Shakil in Brussels; Writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Toby Chopra, Elaine Hardcastle and William McLean)

Pregnant woman discharged from Indiana hospital minutes before giving birth

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Pregnant woman discharged from Indiana hospital minutes before giving birth

Raymond Grady, president and CEO of Franciscan Health, said doctors and nurses lost their jobs and the hospital issued a public apology.

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Alena Wells could have entered this world surrounded by family and medical professionals.

Instead, she was born Nov. 16 in the front seat of a Chevrolet Silverado as her father, Leon Wells, rushed her from one Indiana hospital to another.

Wells was driving away from Franciscan Health Crown Point. The hospital said his wife was discharged while she was in active labor. My mother-in-law was surprised and photographed the exit.

Raymond Grady, president and CEO of Franciscan Health, confirmed that Alena’s mother, Mercedes, was discharged from the hospital shortly before giving birth. Grady said doctors and nurses have lost their jobs. The hospital issued a public apology. And Grady promised policy changes and cultural competency training for all workers and delivery staff.

Leon Wells, 43, of Dalton, a Chicago suburb, told USA TODAY on Nov. 22 that he felt “no concern or empathy.” “I had no concern for my wife as a human being.”

Alena is Mercedes Wells’ fourth child. Her birth has sparked an advocacy movement over the disparate health outcomes for black women and their babies.

“We did not listen to Mrs. Wells’ concerns,” Grady said in a Nov. 21 statement. “As an experienced mother who has previously given birth at our hospital and publicly admitted that she had a good experience, she knew something was wrong.”

Franciscan Health spokeswoman Lori Keagle declined further comment to USA TODAY.

Mom knew she was in labor.

The family arrived around midnight on Nov. 16 while Leon Wells, an investor and pet business owner, was on a business trip. Alena was due to give birth on November 29, but Leon Wells brought her in because he was afraid to leave his wife, a pregnant housewife, alone.

On the night of November 15th, they learned she had started labor. They found the nearest hospital, Francisco Hospital. As the couple, who hail from the same Illinois community as Pope Leo Leon Wells said the contractions shortened from 30 minutes to 15 minutes and increased as he drove.

Leon Wells said Mercedes Wells had called before arriving, but had to wait 10 minutes to be seen by medical staff before being taken to the delivery room’s triage room. About 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital, Mercedes Wells said her water broke while she was in the bathroom. The contractions continued to increase. Leon Wells said his family never saw a doctor.

Leon Wells doesn’t understand why his wife was discharged at 6 a.m., and the hospital hasn’t given any public explanation.

He knows that Mercedes Wells had no doubt that she was in labor.

“My wife is like, ‘No, I’m in labor. This is my fourth child. I know I’m in active labor. I know this baby is coming soon,'” Leon Wells said.

forced to deliver to another location

Leon Wells said he was met by security on the first floor. Another video showed Mercedes Well rolling outdoors in temperatures in the 30s, according to local National Weather Service readings. They asked them to wait inside while Leon Wells went to get the truck.

Leon Wells said his diesel truck takes a long time to warm up. After taking her to the front of the hospital, they headed to another hospital, Community Hospital, in Munster, Indiana.

“Of course I wanted to be upset, but I couldn’t,” Leon Wells said. “I know I had a bigger mission here, and I didn’t want my anger or upset to get in the way of my wife’s successful birth.”

After six minutes of driving, Leon Wells said his wife told him she needed to push. He called 911 but couldn’t wait for an ambulance. She asked him to pull down his pants while she was driving. He looked down and saw the baby’s head.

He helped her remove the baby without gloves. Alena was born at 6:28am. Blankets were prepared in preparation for the birth, and the video showed Alena wrapped and pale.

Eventually, they arrived at a local hospital, where they stayed for two nights. The Wells family is currently at home.

Aiming to improve maternal health outcomes for Black people

The Wellses are seeking changes to hospital policies and procedures to prevent this from happening to other families.

“Everyone should be treated fairly,” Leon Wells said. “Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness. And if you see something, say something.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hundreds of women die each year during childbirth or within weeks after giving birth. As USA TODAY reported, Black women are far more likely to die, with maternal mortality rates three times higher than white women and other women.

Grady, Franciscan’s president and CEO, said the hospital requires cultural competency training for all workers and delivery staff. It added that doctors must test all pregnant patients before discharge.

The Wells family plans to meet with their local lawmaker, Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), in the coming days. Kelly is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust and plans to introduce new legislation to prevent similar situations surrounding patient discharges.

“Too many women have experienced this trauma and pain, and some have tragically lost their lives,” Kelly said in a statement. “It’s clear this is a systemic problem and we cannot continue to allow this to happen.”

After his wife gave birth, Leon Wells remembered driving while holding his wife and baby to his chest. He ran the green light five times on his way to the hospital.

They then looked up the name Alena, he said. Its origin is Greek and means “bright.”

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Contact us via email (emcuevas1@usatoday.com) or Signal (emcuevas.01).

Introduced in 1951, the timeless Pontiac Chieftain is still going strong in Indiana

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Introduced in 1951, the timeless Pontiac Chieftain is still going strong in Indiana

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Have you ever seen Jim Biddle’s 1951 Pontiac Chieftain driving around Bloomington, Indiana?

It wasn’t until a recent afternoon that I noticed the back of a really cool old car up ahead.

Yes, I followed you. When the driver turned west, I also turned west. The driver’s fingers trembled as he realized his destination was just around the corner, and two blocks later the Pontiac’s right turn signal began flashing and the old sedan veered into the Blooming Foods grocery store parking lot.

I said “Eureka” or something to that effect. No need to chase cars and drivers around town and beyond. I certainly did.

Jim Biddle was behind the wheel, with his wife Holly in the passenger seat. The Bloomington man explained that he has actually owned the Pontiac for 46 years and has kept it even after moving across the country several times.

It’s a beautiful car with no decorations beyond the original equipment, such as the illuminated hood ornament. Original but faded paint, dings and dings here and there, nice worn upholstery.

This isn’t Biddle’s first vintage Pontiac. He owned a 1951 and a 1953 car a long time ago, but both were involved in accidents and taken to a salvage yard.

“This is the third time,” Biddle explained. “Both of my previous Pontiacs were wrecked. In 1953, my brother was driving down Walnut Street and someone left a child in the car and the kid got in the car and it hit my car. The other one was wrecked on a sharp curve on Smith Road.”

In 1979, he was looking for a 1949-1952 Pontiac and found a Chieftain for sale in Colorado. He took off and drove back to Indiana. The car was in original condition with all its upholstery and original paint.

“I’ve always loved General Motors cars from that era,” Biddle said.

The V8 ran great then and is still going strong 46 years later. Biddle took the time to make minor repairs to the engine and put about 40,000 miles on the car. The Chieftain, with its cone-shaped glowing bonnet decoration, is washed and drained when cold weather sets in and spends several months in a heated garage.

“This 50-degree day in late fall is a good time to drive,” he said. “But we are preparing for winter.”

Biddle has another cool car. A rare 1979 German Opel. However, it’s not actually his, but instead his dogs, Rocky and a rescue terrier named Zeus. Every day, he takes me for a drive down the one-lane road near my house, covering five or six miles at 10 miles per hour, stretching his hairy head out of the open window.

“They love their cars,” Biddle said. “They want to drive.”

He promised that I could join them on their road trip adventure. I can only imagine the amazing photos it will take.

stay tuned.

Want to talk about cars and trucks? Contact Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.

President Trump wants to fund health savings accounts

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President Trump wants to fund health savings accounts

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President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have proposed an alternative to the Affordable Care Act that would send money directly to consumers rather than to health insurance companies.

The proposals are wide-ranging and have few details, but Republicans support these options because Congress has yet to vote on the fate of cheaper health insurance for millions of Americans.

Democrats want to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare,” by extending pandemic-era tax credits that are set to expire at the end of 2025. Without these tax credit enhancements, the average cost for the 22 million Americans with subsidized ACA insurance would more than double by January 1, 2026, according to the health policy nonprofit KFF.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) has promised a vote on expanding the tax credits by mid-December, but he does not guarantee Republican support for extending these subsidies. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) did not vote, calling the tax credit expansion “profiteering.”

President Trump said he wanted “funds to go directly to the people” as he signed the bill ending the 43-day government shutdown without extending aid.

Tax credits make Obamacare insurance more affordable for millions of enrollees, but do little to slow the rising health care costs faced by most Americans. Americans spend more on health care than any other nation, and rising health care costs will increase premiums paid by all Americans, whether they have workplace, Medicare, or Affordable Care Act insurance.

The more than 150 million Americans who have insurance through their employer will see their average costs rise to the highest level in a decade and a half in 2026. And older Americans on Medicare have been told that their Part B premiums, which cover outpatient care, preventive care, doctor visits, and medical equipment, will rise 9.7% in 2026, squeezing affordability for seniors who rely on Social Security to make ends meet.

How can I send money directly to a consumer?

Mr. Trump has not disclosed details of his proposal. In a Nov. 18 post on Truth Social, President Trump said, “The only health care that I support or approve of is sending money directly back to the people,” rather than insurance companies.

Lawmakers, former Trump administration officials, and some academic researchers have proposed using health savings accounts to fund health care.

Health savings accounts are commonly used by working-age Americans who have health insurance through their employer. By pairing these accounts with high-deductible health insurance plans, consumers can siphon off a portion of their pre-tax paychecks. This money can be used for eligible expenses such as doctor and hospital bills and prescription drugs.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) wants to pair health savings accounts with “bronze”-level Affordable Care Act plans. Families would have federal funds deposited into health savings accounts to purchase health insurance. “Patients can see lower costs,” Cassidy said during a Nov. 19 Senate hearing.

Brian Blades, a White House adviser during the first Trump administration, proposed moving some Obamacare funds into health savings accounts for low-income enrollees.

The Affordable Care Act currently gives low-income enrollees “cost-sharing reduction” payments to offset costs such as deductibles and co-pays. Under Blaze’s proposal, low-income consumers would have the option of directing these subsidies to health savings accounts instead of sending them directly to insurance companies.

Similar to Blais’ proposal, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Nov. 20 unveiled a bill that would convert ACA cost-sharing reduction payments into HSA-style “Trump Health Freedom Accounts.” Each state must submit a waiver application to the federal government to establish a “free account.”

Scott’s proposal would allow consumers to use the account to pay for health insurance. With limited exceptions, HSA accounts can no longer be used to pay for health insurance premiums.

“Americans will always make choices that are better for their families than their government,” Scott said in a statement. “We should give them that opportunity and take a big step toward fixing Obamacare.”

Democrats warn of health insurance ‘cliff’ for millions of Americans

Democrats are skeptical about the timing of these Republican proposals. They argue there is not enough time to reform the Affordable Care Act tax credits without jeopardizing insurance coverage for millions of Americans.

“Individuals will lose health care. This is a cliff,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.

The Nevada Democratic Party said Congress should extend the enhanced premium tax credit for one year to give both parties time to consider long-term reforms. “It should be a thoughtful process, not something that throws people off a cliff,” Cortez Masto said.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) agreed there is not enough time to craft a health reform bill before premium rates for millions of ACA members are reset in January. He said Congress should first extend the enhanced insurance premium tax credit.

“There is no way Congress can come up with a proposal in the next few weeks that will help Americans in January,” Wyden said during a Senate committee hearing on Nov. 19.

Health policy experts are also skeptical of proposals to divert existing Obamacare subsidies into health savings accounts. Such a move could disrupt the ACA markets, forcing healthier people to drop coverage and risk leaving the insurance pool with sicker people and higher monthly premiums.

“The original tax credits that have existed since the ACA was first passed are what keep that market functioning,” said Cynthia Cox, vice president and ACA program director at KFF. “Without these tax credits, the market would collapse and people with pre-existing conditions would have no option for health insurance.”

Robert Kastner, an economist and research professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, said the concept of sending money directly to consumers rather than health insurance companies is “an old, old idea.” “This is a 40-year-old conservative health care reform plan.”

Kaestner said health savings accounts can be effective for middle- and high-income people who can afford to put money into the account while paying their daily living expenses. But low-income families don’t have the same financial cushion, especially when faced with high medical costs such as cancer treatment, he said.

“An HSA cannot cover cancer treatment,” Kaestner says.

‘Wicked 2’ ending is a ‘genius’ homage to Broadway musicals

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‘Wicked 2’ ending is a ‘genius’ homage to Broadway musicals

Fans of Broadway musicals will be thrilled with the ending of “Wicked: For Good.” Spoilers ahead!

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  • ‘Wicked: For Good’ will be released in theaters on Friday, November 1st.
  • Even Elphaba and Glinda stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande said they were surprised by the ending of Wicked Part 2.
  • The final footage of the film will be a huge thrill for fans of the beloved Broadway musical.

Spoiler alert! The following post contains important details about the ending of Wicked: For Good (now in theaters). If you don’t want to know the content, please stop reading.

We all thought we would be sobbing and confused by the end of “Wicked: For Good.”

But we also couldn’t be more pleased with the film’s heartwarming final image, which director Jon M. Chu has deployed perfectly to bring a smile to every theater boy’s face.

Like the Broadway musical, the new film ends with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her straw man Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) walking away from Oz into the sunset after the revelation that Elphaba staged her melting death by hiding under a trapdoor.

But before she sets foot in the desert, Elphaba turns around and sings “For Good” one last time with her distant friend Glinda (Ariana Grande), who has been entrusted with the care of Elphaba’s ancient grimoire, Grimerie.

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The film then flashes back to Glinda and Elphaba’s school days, with the girls sitting in a poppy field, each wearing a white knit shawl and a black pointy hat. And in the final shot of the movie, Glinda turns around and whispers something in Elphaba’s ear. Lovingly recreated from the Broadway musical’s iconic logo.

When filming the two-part film, the cast did not know when or how the scenes would be used.

“I had no idea,” Erivo told USA TODAY. “We captured the moments of this wonderful day together (in the field). John said he was going to use it somewhere, but he didn’t tell me where. Then when I saw the film, I thought, ‘Oh my god, there it is!'” ”

How the ending of ‘Wicked: For Good’ pays homage to the Broadway show

Very early in the film’s development, Chu wanted to include a whisper somewhere.

“That’s the most iconic thing about ‘Wicked,'” Chu says. “There’s no context for it in the show, but it’s so powerful. The mystery of what they’re saying is so fascinating. I just thought, ‘This is a great poster, that’s genius. Let’s put it into practice.'”

For a while, he tried to incorporate the whispers into other parts of the story, but “it just didn’t work,” Chu says. “It always felt a little performative.”

But then screenwriter Winnie Holtzman came up with the idea for a montage in which Elphaba and Glinda go poppy picking on a hillside with their classmates from Shizu University. They stroll through the fields laughing, and then Glinda rests her head on Elphaba’s shoulder.

“I loved the idea of ​​seeing them all as friends before being torn apart by fate,” Holtzman says. In an early draft of the script, composer Stephen Schwartz even wrote a new song “for us all to sing along on this idyllic outing.”

The picnic scene was ultimately cut from last year’s Wicked Part 1, but part of the footage, including the whispers, was used in a flashback in Wicked: For Good.

Chu remembers filming the scene just as the sun was setting. Without thinking, he asked Grande to lean down and whisper something in Erivo’s ear.

“I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but I thought, ‘This is interesting,'” Chu recalls. “It felt natural to hang out with my friends. But once I put it in the can, I was like, ‘Oh, this has to go at the end of the movie.'” It’s such a beautiful moment. ”

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